Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-10-22
SWINDLERS ABROAD.
HOW AMERICANS ARE FLEEcED BY
 THE WOMEN IN LONDON.

A Good Place for Strangers to Keep
 Away From-sketehes of Dark Life fin
 the British MetropolIs-A Bit of EI-
 perience.
 Although the male swindler is dangerous and much to be feared, it is the female of the species that reaps the harvest. Protected by her sex, the diSinclination of a man to pro ceed against a woman, the ease with which she can blast the character of a man by the reason of the readiness we accept a story which attributes unholy lust to our fellow creature, are all known factors to Der in the problem of making a livelihood Beginning at the lowest class-the London street walker you find them in London in larger mum bers, bolder and more persistent than in any place in the world. The larger number cruise about the Criterion. where there is 6 favOrite American bar. After II o'clock till or z, o'clock in the morning this congre- atioc h one of the sights of the city, and the traveller generally sees it. His danger therc is not greater than in any other similar company. unless he should be beguiled by some of these midnight sirens. They are there by thon- sands, the sidewalks and even the street itself filled with them and those who come to be preyed upon, gilded youth and hoary age, chaffng, laughing, swearing and singing in one vast saturnalia in the midst of the most boasted civilization. The hobbies move among them to keep everybody else moving and watching for lawless outbreaks, of which they have few to repress, but other official functions he does not assume
 Turning from these the visitor, with much new matter for reflection, walks to his hotel. IL matters not in what direction it may be strange figures of women will fit across his pathway, curious inquiring faces will be un- expectedly thrust into his own, and vague forms standing in obscure corners will ob- serve him as he strays through the otherwise deserted streets. Beware of the one who ad- | dresses you Do not reply if you can avoid ! it, but under no circumstances stop and par ley with her, for you invite one of the most common dangers that London offers the stranger within its gates.
 Let me take an illustration furnished from I the private experiences of a gentleman from | Pittsburg who lodged in Russell square, and | who strolled home from the Gayety theater | by way of Drury lane and Bedford place | He bad just turned into Bedford square when he encountered a woman standin< hesitat- | ingly on the corner, peering in each direction as one who had lost the way. ~I beg your pardon, sir; can you tell me the way to ths | Midland stationi fear l am lost, !" she said i The polite American stopped. Yes, although | a stranger, be could and would tell her the | way-follow this street around Russell square | into Woburn place to St Pancras church. | the first church on the right-turn to the | right there and the Midland station would be in sight He was walking part of the way and would explain further. As they crossed Bedford square they chatted easily until they came to his lodgings, where be stopped and
 said: "YOu can't miss your way now" | @No,n she replied. sThsnk you, much
 obliged; but you can't go in unless you give
 me a5." And she got between him and the door.
 Five pounds, my good nAdami What
 forF
 Five pounds You have beguiled me to
 walk with you, assaulted me and tried to in-
 duce me to come to your rooms Five pounds,
 or scream for help.n An invalid wife with
 in, an urbs incosnita without, Q nasty
 thought of the conditions, hearty curse, a
 smile from the lady, who pushed the crisp
 note into her bosom, and our friend was standing alone, precipitation falling like rain from his forehead
 FRIENDS ADVICE
 The next day he told bis friend, London friend, about it
 Bless your transatlantic heartn said he,
 you do not suppose that such dangers
 menace us! Why, we live here. It is the
 stranger who is preyed upon. Should c
 woman address you again and threaten to
 scream you seize her by the wrist and tell her to scream and you'll wait till the officers come She'll break away and run and ssu must let her do it.
 Sure enough he was soon waylaid again | The question was for 6 chemist shop, spoken in tones so pregnant with grief and distress that the American stopped, despite bis reSolu- tion never to exchange word with the un- | protected London female.
 "I want pound,r ,r said the woman. "Give 1t to me or will call for the police.7 "You call them" said the American, seiE- ing her arm "I'll hold you tn they come. l" | And she did call, and the police came and e.- | corted them both to the station house The inspector on duty entertained cross charge and locked them both up. The magistrate fin | the morning fined the woman two and six. and told the American bis position was open | to a very repreheHsible construction and hs had better look out Tho American was So mad that he paid the woman's fine, deter | mined that justice SIch as that should not have the qualification of locking the woa.1n 1 up. As a reward for all this the newspapers | all published report of the eccentric Amer ican;- bis wife got well enough to voyage home on the Saturday Cunarder, and he fol- lowed alone In the White Star ship on the next Tuesday. It was months before they made up, and now when on his visits to Lon don, where his business frequently calls him, he traverses its streets in close cab. and sets | well back in it, too.
 As matter of fact the American is not favorably regarded in any capacity, whether | defendant or complainant, in the English
 police courts.-London Cor. Philadelphia | Times